New to Airband, a few questions...

[FOD]

Hi All

I have recently bought a Baofeng UV5RM which has AM airband which I am listening to. I am based in the Forest of Dean (between Bristol and Gloucester).

I have frequencies for Bristol, Gloucester, Gatwick, Heathrow programmed which I scan through and am wondering if I need ALL the frequencies for each airport or if there are some which I will never pick up - director, ground, radar, ATIS, tower, delivery etc. I pick up Heathrow ATCC, Gatwick ATIS, Bristol and Glos towers but not much else. I appreciate that a handheld with a 18" antenna is limited.

Also any general tips or frequencies would be appreciated. I have used Skyvector and https://www.qsl.net/mw1dga/airbandfrequencies.htm to find frequencies, although there are some discrepancies between them.

[paulears]

With airband, you have three kinds of potential sources. Aircraft at altitude, on the airways and distances are pretty large from 30,000ft. The trouble is the ground stations might struggle with you if theyre more than ten miles away. A bit further if geography males the path from you to them and easy one. Then there’s the middle airspace, just above the ground to around 6000ft. Have a look at one of the aircraft maps. Like plane spotter as a simple one. Yo7 can easily see what you can see from your location. Ground freqs require you to be close. Approavh and radar tend to be a bigger area. A good thing is to start at your local busy airport and listen to an aircraft progress from ground, tower, departures and then try to follow it from area to area and see what distances work. You might hear new frequencies as they get passed from centre to centre. But by bit your list will get ticks and crosses and new ones added.

[FOD]

Thanks

[Blackoutbob]

From the Forest of Dean you should be able to hear

126.075
128.8166
135.250
129.375
134.750
133.6

If you go out portable you may hear the ground transmissions from Winstone in Gloucestershire.

Rob